Casey Newton

They scrambled, you know, whatever they could do to like get up high on those search results, they would do. It would work for a time. Then the algorithm would change. Then, you know, more people would be laid off. Like all of this just had like a downward pressure on the quality of things. Like people couldn't afford to take big swings anymore. They couldn't afford to to hire big staffs anymore.

They scrambled, you know, whatever they could do to like get up high on those search results, they would do. It would work for a time. Then the algorithm would change. Then, you know, more people would be laid off. Like all of this just had like a downward pressure on the quality of things. Like people couldn't afford to take big swings anymore. They couldn't afford to to hire big staffs anymore.

And so you just get more of these like generic websites telling you about that week's movie trailer. So like basically Google got too much of the money and like the rest of the digital media ecosystem, in my opinion, did not get enough. And there's a very solid narrative that has unfolded over the past few years that Google just isn't as good as it used to be at searching for things.

And so you just get more of these like generic websites telling you about that week's movie trailer. So like basically Google got too much of the money and like the rest of the digital media ecosystem, in my opinion, did not get enough. And there's a very solid narrative that has unfolded over the past few years that Google just isn't as good as it used to be at searching for things.

And so you just get more of these like generic websites telling you about that week's movie trailer. So like basically Google got too much of the money and like the rest of the digital media ecosystem, in my opinion, did not get enough. And there's a very solid narrative that has unfolded over the past few years that Google just isn't as good as it used to be at searching for things.

In part, that is just because there are so many more ads now on the sort of high-value searches that people often do on Google. A predictable way that Google has added revenue over the past couple years when they need to show growth to Wall Street is they'll literally just add one more sponsored link to mobile search results.

In part, that is just because there are so many more ads now on the sort of high-value searches that people often do on Google. A predictable way that Google has added revenue over the past couple years when they need to show growth to Wall Street is they'll literally just add one more sponsored link to mobile search results.

In part, that is just because there are so many more ads now on the sort of high-value searches that people often do on Google. A predictable way that Google has added revenue over the past couple years when they need to show growth to Wall Street is they'll literally just add one more sponsored link to mobile search results.

So maybe it used to take five links before you would see what they call an organic result, so a result that has not been paid for. Now I think it's up to seven, right? Now maybe most people don't even realize that those are sponsored links and they're perfectly happy to click on ads all day.

So maybe it used to take five links before you would see what they call an organic result, so a result that has not been paid for. Now I think it's up to seven, right? Now maybe most people don't even realize that those are sponsored links and they're perfectly happy to click on ads all day.

So maybe it used to take five links before you would see what they call an organic result, so a result that has not been paid for. Now I think it's up to seven, right? Now maybe most people don't even realize that those are sponsored links and they're perfectly happy to click on ads all day.

But for people who are a little bit savvier and who just kind of wanted to see a web that wasn't totally corrupted by commercial values, that just feels like it is harder to find. And it is in part because people are not making as much stuff for the web as they used to because there is not as much money in it.

But for people who are a little bit savvier and who just kind of wanted to see a web that wasn't totally corrupted by commercial values, that just feels like it is harder to find. And it is in part because people are not making as much stuff for the web as they used to because there is not as much money in it.

But for people who are a little bit savvier and who just kind of wanted to see a web that wasn't totally corrupted by commercial values, that just feels like it is harder to find. And it is in part because people are not making as much stuff for the web as they used to because there is not as much money in it.

They always have been. I mean, this is kind of what led a former Googler in the early days to coin their famous catchphrase, don't be evil. This was what don't be evil was about. It was about not compromising the integrity of what they were doing by reaching for the easy revenue.

They always have been. I mean, this is kind of what led a former Googler in the early days to coin their famous catchphrase, don't be evil. This was what don't be evil was about. It was about not compromising the integrity of what they were doing by reaching for the easy revenue.

They always have been. I mean, this is kind of what led a former Googler in the early days to coin their famous catchphrase, don't be evil. This was what don't be evil was about. It was about not compromising the integrity of what they were doing by reaching for the easy revenue.

And over time, I think that they have just reached more and more for the easy revenue and have not thought enough about the health of the broader web ecosystem that ultimately they do depend on.

And over time, I think that they have just reached more and more for the easy revenue and have not thought enough about the health of the broader web ecosystem that ultimately they do depend on.

And over time, I think that they have just reached more and more for the easy revenue and have not thought enough about the health of the broader web ecosystem that ultimately they do depend on.